Jeremiah 23:9-25:14; 1 Thessalonians 4
We return again today to Proverbs 24 – verses 23-34 – which contains more wise sayings and addresses various issues that affect all men and women everywhere and in every age. To be righteous and just, we are not to show partiality or to proclaim anyone as innocent who is actually guilty. The writer states that “Whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent,’ will come under a curse by the people, and nations will denounce him” (verse 24). We see this in history. Leaders who have turned a blind eye toward the guilty, have also come under national denunciation by others from around the world. However, for those who have the courage to convict the guilty, things generally will go well for them, and rich blessings will follow (verse 25). 1 Thessalonians 4 also reiterates this principle. God wants us to practice honesty and to bear proper testimony before our neighbor. Gossip, misleading chatter, and revenge are to be avoided. Here, we observe that sluggards are busybodies everywhere else but in their own vineyards. We are likely to find them sleeping, resting, and jesting with all the other sluggards. The sluggard’s farm – overgrown with thorns, thistles, weeds, and a broken-down wall – reflects his inherent laziness and his senseless lack of industry. People who are ambitious about their own occupation have little time for nonsense, and as a result, they seldom come to poverty.
In Jeremiah 23:9-25:14, God continues to reveal to Jeremiah the heartbreaking source of Israel’s forthcoming judgment. Here, we see a host of false prophets and godless priests – whose audacious, lying prophecies and evil worship practices – misled the people. God compares these false leaders to the sins of “Sodom and Gomorrah” (verse 14), and He will require them to “eat bitter food and drink poisoned water” (verse 15). God says, “I did not send these prophets … I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied” (verse 21). He who has not received God’s divine revelation may not speak with any authority on His behalf. God’s Word is “like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces” (verse 29). Sensible and mature leaders are expected to know not to play with fire or with tools that can also serve as dangerous weapons. God has established that all expression proclaimed in His name but without His approval is simple nonsense that leads people astray and serves as “reckless lies, and distortion” (verses 32 and 36). In fact, it is tantamount to blasphemy. Only the exclusive Word of God is reliably trustworthy. Chapter 24 reveals two baskets of figs – one with good fruit – the other with bad. The bad fruit pictures Zedekiah’s kingdom – rotten. Putrid fruit is cast aside as garbage, and God says He will cast Judah aside for its rottenness. Sadly, seventy years of captivity are coming (cf., Jeremiah 25:1-14).
1 Thessalonians 4 reiterates the principles of honesty and purity found in Proverbs 24:23-34. Paul tells us to make every effort to please God by living a “pure and holy life” (verse 7). Many people today are selfishly ambitious (i.e., aggressive; determined; striving) for all the wrong things – for power, prestige, fame, fortune, money, and many other worldly pursuits. However, Paul tells us that we should rise above this kind of nonsense. Our “ambition [should be] to love one another, to lead quiet lives, to mind our own business, and to work” productively (verse 11). Today, where do we find people who are ambitious for God? Where are the people who are “determined” to love others; who “strive” to lead quiet lives; and who focus “aggressively” on the details of their work? Such sensible efforts pursued with a right heart and with godly ambition please God.
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